Rau: The Great Love Story of Bajirao Mastani Paperback – 10 Aug. 2016

Value for money. Must Buy

If you don't know anything about Bajirao and Mastani then do yourself a favour and buy this book. It is well written and translated.Most of my discussion will be about history and how characters differ in this book, from how they are in Sanyay Leela Bansali's film Bajirao Mastani. Google it, see the advert and clips, all the sings are on YouTube, put there by the film co, its the way they promote films in India. Even better, watch the movie on Amazon, ErosNow(and no they are not paying me)! Given the recent threats to life of Sanjay Levels Bansali, over film Padmaavati, it is important to give crest where its due and Bajirao Mastani is good film with stunning sets, costumes and one of the best songs I have ever heard. It is unfortunate that some in India don't appreciates what they have in Bansali.I didn't know Bajirao or Mastani exited a few weeks ago, a song title from film called "aayat" caught my eye on YouTube, I clicked in it dread ( as images of burning property and rioting crowds flashed through my mind, ayaat means verses of Quran) not only the song was not anti islamic , it is just brilliant, sweet and deeply sad, means I have memorized you like the verses of Qur'an. I looked into the film bit more and thevsong's words became much more powerful once I realized both characters in the song were real historically and very tragic .They existed, Wikipedia, quora etc are full if raging debates on all sorts of topics. One person wrote that very little is known about them both, beyond main points. Bajrao existed, Marathas controlled 3% of India when he became Peshwa, prime minister and pope roles into one, plus main general of marhatha armies. They controlled 30% because of Bajirao, one British general described Bajirao as the best cavalry general India has ever produced. I would have loved to see Bajirao face afgan invasion 20 years after Bajirao, ... Let's keep it spoiler free!If this was just a fantasy novel then I would have serious believability issues with it. Bajirao was brilliant tactician on battlefield, why couldn't he see that his blatant disregard for Brahman norms would risk his own life and that of Mastani's. Maybe he thought that his victories would buy him unconditional support from the massese. What he didn't understand was that he wasn't the king, he had a boss, who had been unhappy many times. Bajirao didn't have the power of Muslim khalifs or popes etc who could do what they liked in private life, everyone had no choice but to fall in line. That was a deadly miscalculation.This brings us to the messy business of what is historically accurate?The film, Bajirao Mustani, treats Mastani much better, she was a daughter of a king, who rebelled against moguls and lost, Bajirao helped Mastanis father by winning bac his kingdom. Mr Inamdar, the author if this book, treated Mastani differently. She was a singer and dancer who used the ploy of two kidnapped and consumed dea a ploy to win an audience and Bajirao fell in love with her. Symbolism of dears is subtle but not lost on many as a poly of a sly woman, sits, wife of hindu gid Ram, was loured away by a dear and was kidnapped by Raven, in Ramayana, the Hindu scriptures.Most of the book was much more focused on characters, I read lots of stories as a child where the Marathas were just as bad as mongols and just as unstoppable. It was surprising to see a side I didn't know existed.Mustani wasn't quiet a main stream Muslim, she belonged to a sect that worshiped Krishna as well as following Islam, she would not have fared much better if she had been captured by Muslims. Both film and this novel portray different versions of Mustani.Historic spoilers below.Spoilers below.I can't believe that Bajirao died suddenly, from heat stroke, age 39. The man was beyond tough, who covered a week+ distance in three days and bought enemies the way Art of War, by Sun Tzu, Bajirao may is may not have heard of it but he practiced it. He litterly spent most of his life in saddle, in heat of Indian summer, he wasn't dying of fever caused by heat stroke. He fiught 39 or 42 wars, all victories because of his deadly speed abd tactics. Heat stroke and dehydration? I don't think so.He was drinking but liver failure is also not that credible. There were many attempts on Mustan's life, skipped mostly by Inamdar, but Moghuls had been killing their way to the throne for centuries and Bajirao was risking his family by drinking, eating meat and by keeping a Muslim mistress openly in the centre of Marhaths power. In the end he was go and so was Mastani, her death at same time makes me believe my own theory, so called Muslim influence was gone once Bajirao was gone, his part Muslim son was no threat.But history is history, whatever the cause, both paid the price.I could go on but most of the points would be more history vs film vs book but it is said that primary sourses are vague... I am just glad I leant about these two.hindues argue that Bajirao isn't the hero or all Hindus because he fought Muslim and attacked other Hindu states etc and so did other Marathas.... Violent times, but that makes the love story even better... Like saying good by to friends, but I have memorized you.....4 stars because no notes from author at the end which are usually included by good historic fiction writer so people now what is real history and what was made up or changed. Now we will never now!

I have watched it 3 times and I probably watch again some day.

Fantastic